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Football diaries

Posted June 21st, 2010. Delia de Villiers

From Addis Ababa in

Ethiopia to Gulu in

Uganda and Pemba Island

in Tanzania, Robin Goode,

Matteo Bottanelli and

Kabir Javier crossed

Africa on their

motorbikes, stopping only

to capture the football

culture in many almost-

forsaken villages. Football

Muti, a black-and-white

coffee table book is the

product of their journey.

They share some of their experiences and thoughts about the locals: “A ball is

as interesting as an old man’s face; you can see a lot of good memories etched

into them,” or “his fiery defiance mesmerised me; he is from a tribe whose

culture is dying”.

The photographs capture the roughness and harshness of a rough African

terrain but also of the tough reality of millions of people. The pictures of the

children, barefoot and scantily clothed, are particularly poignant.

The exact geographic location of each photograph is included, creating a sense

of universality in forgotten communities. Soccer is more than a game in these

communities and the photographs express some parts of the bigger meaning

of this pastime. These people are not deterred by their lack of a ball, shoes or

goalposts. The improvisations for a ball, using all kinds of found materials, are

both funny and sad.

Published by Jacana, the project aims to raise money for much-needed

medicine for children’s charities.

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Football Muti.

South Africa Johannesburg 2010 World Cup Africa Book Review

communities Delia de Villiers football Football Muti goalposts

Jacana Kabir Javier Matteo Bottanelli Photography Publishing

Robin Goode soccer villages

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